Summary:
The American author Bill Bryson criticized Britain yesterday at the Hay Literary festival yesterday.
He described the British culture self-absorbed and greedy.
In 1995 Bryson wrote his book ‘Notes from a Small Island’ with documented observations for over 22 years of life in Britain. The nation has changed and has become worse he says.
‘One thing that is different, and has changed here, is the self-absorption, not just greed.’
‘Everybody is in a hurry now and there is a “the rules don’t apply to me” sort of thing. When I first came to Britain it really was all about fair play and queuing.’
The author compares life in Britain in the seventies with today. People’s lives were actually still quite simple compared with today but it seemed like a really enriched country.’
‘People in general have a lot more money in their pockets but we act all the time now like we are really poor when people are really rich’ says Bryson.
He also compared America’s individual wealth and collective poverty, saying that Britain has also moved into that. However after a visit in Italy, it proves that Great Britain is still ‘a nation of queuers.’
Reaction:
Since this author has observed British culture and people for over 22 years I can believe his opinion. I could agree with this opinion also but I that would not be fair because I have never been to the UK before. What I do realize when reading this article is that I can see this way of living here also in the Netherlands. How true it is that people tend to be more on their own, an individual, and that will transform them into being greedy. The more you want, the more you will eventually need. Considering that material, money and status is so important for people now a days you do become self centered. It could be that Bryson’s opinion is a little to exaggerating and inappropriate by comparing Britain to the US. However, I can imagine that comparing today with 40 years ago, there’s defiantly an enormous difference in the British culture.
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